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The
Mediterranean remains to this day a priority for Italy
in terms of politics, economics, and culture. For this
reason, ITPO Italy has a special programme that seeks to
promote prosperity around the Mediterranean, as well as
helping the enterprises and agencies that assist them to
define and enact policies that will help make the
footprint of industry smaller, and more benign to the
environment. ITPO also seeks cooperation with public
bodies that have not only a say in policies but also
relevant knowledge.
Four of
the countries of the region, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and
Tunisia have the advantage of an Industrial Promotion
Unit (IPU) located within public agencies that promote
and assist SMEs. For these reasons, ITPO Italy
activities in these countries are more intense and more
important and meaningful. They often imply several
promotional events, work on a sectoral basis, more
numerous contacts between enterprises, greater attention
on the part of the authorities, and greater outputs in
terms of enterprise cooperation, joint-ventures,
exchanges of technology, and investments. Since the
project that has been supporting the IPUs over the past
several years is coming to a close around the end of
2008, some things may change, but the emphasis on the
Mediterranean will continue because the institutional
and enterprise links created between Italy and the
southern Mediterranean coast are robust and resilient.
ARAB MEDITERRANEAN SUPPORT UNIT
This
specific Unit hosted by ITPO Italy, was created in 2006
and assigned the tasks of supporting the HQ’s Arab
Mediterranean Network and of coordinating the activities
of the ITPOs and the IPUs of the region.
During
2008, in close collaboration, and with the assistance
ITPO Italy, the Unit gave support to the IPUs in the
organization of promotional events in Italy and abroad.
In this respect, a delegation of entrepreneurs from
Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia was organized and
supported during their visits to MIA and MACFRUIT trade
fairs. Further interaction between the Unit and ITPO was
seen in the organization of, and participation in, fairs
and other promotional events throughout the year. |
